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Sometimes people will try to discredit the validity of a scientific experiment by saying that the results don't apply to the real world. Is that a valid argument?
Accepted:
June 9, 2011

Comments

Miriam Solomon
June 10, 2011 (changed June 10, 2011) Permalink

It is a good argument only when there is reason to think that the experimental situation may be different in some relevant ways from the natural situation.

So, for example, tests of nuclear bombs in desert areas or underground yield results that DO apply to the real world.

Tests of drugs in vitro (in the test tube) may not apply in the "real world" of living organisms (in vivo).

Nancy Cartwright is a philosopher of science who has written extensively about these issues.

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